Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2201-2205 (4-8 June 2012) Weekly Comic Discussion Thread
Sorflakne:
--- Quote ---I, for one, don't see anything wrong with what Ginger said. She reacted defensively, to be sure, but also assertively and politely.
--- End quote ---
Assertively? Yes. Politely? No.
She accused Marten of hazing. In today's world, what with the death of that college drummer and crackdowns on hazing around the country, that's not an accusation to be used lightly. What if she had gone straight to the Dean with her accusation instead? Marten would've been screwed.
--- Quote ---Um, surely you realise that my comment was not directed at people pointing out that the redhead was being aggressive in her response to Marten, but at the thoughtlessly sexist language that had been used in those instances to express the criticism of her?
--- End quote ---
Two random thoughts:
1. Would the negative reaction to the post(s) calling Redhead a bitch have been as strong if Redhead were a male?
2. Would there have been a negative reaction if a female had made the exact same post?
--- Quote ---For that matter, I think it's quite a sad state of affairs when your first reaction to an opinionated woman being assertive is to brand her a 'bitch'.
--- End quote ---
She accused Marten of hazing without fact-finding first. See my previous post and the beginning of this post.
--- Quote ---I think we're all perfectly capable of describing someone's behaviour far more accurately (e.g: 'defensive, hostile, aggressive', what have you) without having to resort to gendered slurs.
--- End quote ---
Again, without this current foresight, I would've used the term had it been a guy.
--- Quote ---Oh sure, I hear "heterosexual Anglo-Saxon males" being called "bitches" when they express their opinions all the time.
--- End quote ---
I've been called a bitch a few times. Last time it was actually a woman who said it. Non-joking manner I might add.
--- Quote ---As for the comic itself, this is what we know that she knows about the situation:
She is a graduate student.
She knows that Marten has been thrown into training without any preparation or forewarning.
And she is DEFINITELY being aggressive. Its not the words, check out her body language. Panel 1: the Crossed arms and stance. Panel 4: She is WAAAY up into Marten's face. Dude, the only time anyone is that close in on my face they are either going to kiss me or are being incredibly aggressive. Invading people's personal space, ESPECIALLY when they are as obviously flustered as Marten is not cool.
Honestly, she shows an incredible amount of self-centered thought. She completely ignores the existing evidence, knowing Marten was thrown into this unprepared and without warning, Marten's stammering around stupidly, Marten's body language, and assumes that SHE Is a target. Self-centeredness is a somewhat shitty personality trait.
That being said, maybe she had a bad morning already. I mean, acting self-centered in ONE instance doesn't make you a bad person, but she isn't really getting off on a good foot here, and it has nothing to do with her gender, it has to do with her attitude.
--- End quote ---
This.
--- Quote ---Marten does nothing to halt that idea in its tracks, and continuing to spout inanities desperately then finally revealing that he's not actually qualified ('Aren't you more qualified' =/= I am unqualified) seems like a deliberate let-down. So yes, I can see how it can be construed of as a prank. And it doesn't have to personally malicious either, since this perceived 'hazing ritual' could be someone else's idea and put Marten up to it. In Ginger's eyes, it's not 'this librarian is the instigator of a hazing ritual and is deliberately mocking us', it's 'this person is complicit in a hazing ritual and we the interns are its victims'. The irresponsible mastermind could well be Tai, or anyone else. She doesn't seem to be personally offended by Marten.
--- End quote ---
So why didn't she just call out Tai in the beginning when Tai said in front of everyone, "I'm high as hell right now." and that she was going to be in the back watching cartoons? I mean, does that sound like a competent boss to you?
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Sorflakne on 10 Jun 2012, 08:36 ---1. Would the negative reaction to the post(s) calling Redhead a bitch have been as strong if Redhead were a male?
--- End quote ---
Perhaps. It's not a usage I've come across, so I'm not sure.
--- Quote ---2. Would there have been a negative reaction if a female had made the exact same post?
--- End quote ---
I have not considered your gender in this matter; only the words on the page.
Schmorgluck:
--- Quote from: Tellusora on 10 Jun 2012, 07:12 ---PS: Good god. Look at this wall of text!
--- End quote ---
A pretty wall, if I may. It spares me the hassle of having to word my thoughts, by simply plusoneing* you.
--- Quote from: Tellusora on 10 Jun 2012, 07:12 ---What Marten needs to do now is explain the situation, as he should have done at the beginning before the drama could begin (and before it worsens).
--- End quote ---
Who knows? Maybe Ginger will propose a callback prank at Tai. That would be awesome. I mean, Marten is obviously being pranked, even though I haven't quite yet forfeited my initial idea that Tai is trying to expand his dating pool. Tai is prone to do shit like that. She's the kind of person who can be mildly malicious at times, like everyone can, but is able to bring out disastrous results just by being not quite crafty enough to foresee the actual result of her ploys. So maybe she's trying to help Marten, or maybe she's just having fun at his expense, or maybe both. No matter the answer, what she's doing is irresponsible. I like the character enough to give her the benefit of the doubt. But she deserves a callback nevermind her intent. A playful callback has my preference, but it's just me.
.
*I love making verbs up on the fly, it really is one of the best perks of the English language.
cesariojpn:
--- Quote from: Soulsynger on 07 Jun 2012, 07:39 ---
--- Quote from: RyanW1019 on 06 Jun 2012, 08:04 ---Also, Jeph tweeted that Marten has slept with 3 people since the strip started. I can only remember Dora and Padma. Who am I forgetting??
--- End quote ---
This one. Yes, I am counting that.
--- End quote ---
Wait, when did Sweet-Tits bag Marten?
Omega Entity:
That was the chick that asked Marten out (who he promptly informed he already had a girlfriend), and then ended up going out with Steve. I can't remember what her name was off the top of my head, but I do remember she was in school for Marine Biology or somesuch, and was technically jailbait for the first couple of dates that she and Steve went out on.
Or I have my characters crossed. Someone please hit me with the correction mallet if I'm wrong?
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